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CHINA E-LOBBY UPDATE: APRIL 23, 2003
Note: The next Week�s Links will be sent tomorrow, one day ahead of schedule.
Tell Gay Hartwell Sills of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to kill the Global Crossing sale to Hutchison Whampoa (see American-Related News and the 3/19 and 3/26 Updates for more on this).
TOP STORY: SARS SPREADS TO PROVINCES; SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN IN CAPITAL
COMMUNIST CHINA HID PATIENTS FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
As the so-called People�s Republic of China continues to come to grips with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Communist cover-up of same, Beijing closed all schools for two weeks (CNN 4/22). The Communists also cancelled some festivities for May Day � a major Communist holiday.
Meanwhile, the Communists moved over 70 patients out of hospitals to hide them from officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) while the officials were visiting the facilities. A �local medical source� told Time Asia that the PRC transferred �severely ill SARS patients� to keep them away from the WHO. Other patients were �rushed into ambulances and driven around the city for several hours.�
One doctor painfully told Time, �I can't tell you any details because I don't want to lose my job. All I can tell you that the government's handling of this matter is absolutely irresponsible.� Communist secrecy on SARS goes back to last November, when the disease originated in Guangdong province and was allowed to quietly spread for months (see 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, and last Updates).
As for the disease itself, it�s getting worse in the PRC. The Communists admitted that the disease has reached three rural provinces Liaoning, Jilin, and Gansu (BBC 4/21). The WHO added another � Shanxi (BBC 4/23). Given the toll the disease has taken on Beijing and Hong Kong � the places best equipped within the PRC to handle it � the prospects for the impoverished interior are terrifying (Newsmax).
How terrifying you ask? Well, in Shanxi, hospitals are so overcrowded they�re turning away SARS patients, according to Time Asia.
Of course, the Communists are well into political damage control now. On the same day the patient-move-around story hit the press, the Communist Politburo Standing Committee � the most powerful political body in the PRC with the exception of the Central Military Commission � pledged �no delay and no deceit in reporting� (CNN 4/17) in reporting SARS information.
The fall guys came down on Monday, as Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing Mayor Meng Xuenong lost their party and state posts (CNN 4/20, Cybercast News, New York Post). Vice Premier Wu Yi is expected to take the Health Ministry post (Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN).
OTHER SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS) NEWS
SKEPTICISM ON COMMUNIST RESPONSE STILL HIGH, REACHES THE RUSSIAN BORDER
For obvious reasons, the aforementioned Communist pledges to speaking the truth on SARS is being met with high skepticism. As Willy Wo-Lap Lam, CNN noted, the PRC �needs to do a lot more to promote the culture of truth-telling and full disclosure.� Lam also noted, �covering up or embellishing the truth has become second nature to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials.�
Such second nature got the Communists some well-deserved international criticism. The WHO used �unusually blunt language� (Washington Post) in blasting Communist China�s handling of SARS. Among other things, the Communist military has refused to release any information on SARS, not even other Communist officials can get a hold of the data, let alone international officials.
The WHO said the military�s secrecy, plus underreporting by the Communists in general �make it impossible to control and monitor the spread of the disease in the Chinese capital.� The International Press Institute also blasted the PRC response, which �hindered the fight against the disease� (Cybercast News).
Meanwhile, the Russian border region of Amur �banned travel across its southern border to China� (Washington Times) due to the SARS outbreak.
NORTH KOREA NEWS
NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TALKS BEGIN IN BEIJING
The much-hyped talks among the United States, Communist China and North Korea about the North�s nuclear ambitions began in Beijing today. According to CNN, U.S. officials are optimistic because of the PRC�s involvement. Needless to say, this quarter does not share the officials� optimism, especially since Japan and South Korea were excluded (see last Update). Also reporting: BBC, MSNBC
For more on these talks, and the latest on Communist China�s Stalinist ally, sign up for Monday�s North Korea Report.
U.S. HELPED TWENTY NORTH KOREAN SCIENTIST ESCAPE VIA PRC
The United States was part of an effort to �arrange the defections of up to 20 top North Korean officials, including key nuclear scientists, in an operation that began in October� (Washington Post). Among those who escaped through Communist China was Kyong Won Ha, dubbed the �father� of the Stalinists� nuclear weapons programs.
Nauru, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Thailand, the Philippines and Spain were among the nations that helped the U.S. in this operation.
OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS
�PARLOR MAID� TIPPED OFF COMMUNISTS ON NUCLEAR INVESTIGATION
Katrina Leung, the FBI �asset� arrested for being a Communist Chinese spy (see last Update), �almost certainly led the Chinese to trail one of the FBI counterintelligence agents on a trip to China around 1990� (New York Times via San Francisco Chronicle). The agents were investigating the PRC�s theft of American nuclear secrets, and morphed into the Wen Ho Lee debacle.
ALLEGED SPY�S FAMILY RIPS FBI
Meanwhile, Leung�s family has decided the best defense is a good offense. The family ripped the FBI for its handling of her case, and have blamed the two agents with whom she had affairs. The family also played the race card against the FBI. Report: Washington Post
OTHER MAINLAND NEWS
COMMUNIST CHINA CLAIMS 10% GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER
The official Communist claim on economic growth in the first three months of 2003 � reported in the last Update to be 9% � was actually 10%. Still, as the BBC noted, �The Chinese Government's figures are notorious for being unreliable.�
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDIA RESIGNS, DEPARTURE OF ANTI-PRC OFFICIAL WORRIES SOME
Robert Blackwell, U.S. Ambassador to India and, according to Cybercast News, someone �known for his astute analysis of China's military power,� will be leaving his post in August. While Blackwell said his resignation was for personal reasons, some fear that he eased out by a State Department that is more sympathetic toward Pakistan, India�s regional rival and Communist China�s long-time ally.
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) NEWS
TAIWAN TRACKING COMMUNIST SPY SHIP
The ROC is keeping an eye on a �surveillance ship� (Washington Times, second paragraph) from Communist China, but has not confronted the ship. According to a Coast Guard spokesman, the PRC ship �did not intrude in our territorial waters,� so the island democracy is keeping its hands off, for now.
HONG KONG NEWS
HONG KONG NOT SCREENING FOR SARS IN VISITORS FROM SARS ORIGIN
While Hong Kong is hard at work trying to keep SARS-infected residents from leaving the city, travelers from neighboring provinces, including Guangdong, the SARS originated, are not subjected to rigorous screening and testing to keep SARS patients out of the city. Report: Washington Times
BUSINESS SECTOR REQUESTS, AND GETS, MILLIONS IN RELIEF; BANKRUPTCIES UP
Hong Kong�s business sector, reeling from the effects of SARS (see 4/9 Update), is now asking for �relief from up to HK$5 billion (U.S.$640 million) in government fees and charges� (CNN). The city responded with roughly U.S.$1.5 billion in aid (BBC 4/23). Businesses aren�t alone in dealing with SARS economic fallout; bankruptcies were near record levels last month (BBC 4/17).
No news was reported from Tibet this week.
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